[Game] Kings Versus Grizzlies, 11/6/10 7PM

[gunks]

Kings played a "young" game tonight. TOs killed it. Sloppy play on both ends. Everyone needs to relax. We BARELY beat a bunch of cellar dwellers, and now when we lose to legit teams and suddenly the sky is falling.

Reke is shaking off the rust, we've shown flashes of good D (key word flashes), and Dally >>>>>>>>>> Hawes.

Kings have a ways to go, we're going to be better than last season, but this isnt going to be a OKC turnaround. Cuz is super raw (ROY is out of the question), we arnt super deep at the 2/3, and we dont have anything close to a starting quality PF. What we do have is two great young prospects, and a lot of trade chips.

Baby steps.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

You don't just build things overnight. Even once you've poured the foundation and put up pillars, everything still needs time to settle and mesh.

Yes I'm aware. The problem though, following your analogy, is that if you try and cut costs while pouring the foundation, you're probably going to end up with an inferior product once it finally does settle. Almost the entire Kings roster is made up of either really young guys who are long term projects, Thompson, Casspi, Greene, Whiteside, Cousins, role players who were picked up on the cheap, Head, Jackson, Jeter, and guys who may not even be here next season, Landry, Dalembert. They basically have three players that are reliable, proven NBA players right now and that's Evans, Garcia, and Udrih. Garcia and Udrih are great role players and it's a good thing they have them or the team would be absolute garbage right now, but neither one is really good enough to be a starter on a top tier team. Without a proven high caliber player (or two) to complement Evans, this team just isn't going to be any good.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

Its really easy to say that the Kings should have spent money, but I don't know who exactly you expected the team to offer big money to this past summer and that they would actually accept the offer.

I said it before and I'll say it again. I think they should have made a serous run at Rudy Gay. Whether he theoretically would have accepted a Kings offer or not really isn't the point. The point is that The Kings had the money available to go after him and as far as I can tell, unless the kept the whole thing very quiet, they didn't.

 

[FaStRmAn]

You'd think the Kings are the ones who played on a double OT game yesterday.

This is just sad. The game isn't even competitive.

That is exactly what I was thinking. The KINGS look like the team that played 4 games in 5 nights. They looked lethargic and uninterested.

The truth is they just are not a very good team. And I mean team in every sense of the word. They dont play team defense very well and they are having a real hard
time getting offensive looks with the offense they are running. It is mostly isolation plays. And since we do not have any scorers like Gay, we end up losing games because
we cant score enough to keep up. Their defensive woes continue even though they started Dalmebert. That tells me that it wasn't Cousins that is the problem on defense. I think that Beno and Reke are the problems because they are getting beat off the dribble too much. This Kings team has a long way to go to be competitive. I see that now. Memphis isnt a very good team, yet they slapped the Kings around pretty good even though they have had a 4 game in 5 nights stretch. It looks like the Kings didnt even practice on their days off. They looked lost on offense and the turnovers are just awful. Coaching is starting to look a little shaky.

 

[TheWileyVet]

I'm so pissed at PW. Wtf is up with his 3 bigs and 2 guard line up??? Nothing spectacular on defense and we can't do **** on offense...


Dalembert Jackson Thompson Garcia Udrih.... really??

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

Cuz is super raw (ROY is out of the question) .

I don't know if I'd say out of the question. Remember, it took Tyreke a month or so before he hit his stride last season. He didn't start right off averaging 20 points.

 

[gunks]

Yes I'm aware. The problem though, following your analogy, is that if you try and cut costs while pouring the foundation, you're probably going to end up with an inferior product once it finally does settle. Almost the entire Kings roster is made up of of either really young guys who are long term projects, Thompson, Casspi, Greene, Whiteside, Cousins, role players who were picked up on the cheap, Head, Jackson, Jeter, and guys who may not even be here next season, Landry, Dalembert. They basically have three players that are reliable, proven NBA players right now and that's Evans, Garcia, and Udrih. Garcia and Udrih are great role players and it's a good thing they have them or the team would be absolute garbage right now, but neither one is really good enough to be a starter on a top tier team. Without a proven high caliber player (or two) to complement Evans, this team just isn't going to be any good.

This.

We have Evans, our only legit allstar caliber guy.

Next tier: Beno, Cisco, Dally, Landry. Decent players who probably wouldnt start on any elite team. Probably wouldnt even start on upper end playoff caliber teams.

Then, youngins: Cuz, Omri, JT, Greene (wherever he is), Whiteside. Tons of potential, but we're a few seasons away for a lot of those guys.

Finally: cheap scrubs...(Not counting Jackson, I like him, but he's a 9th-10th type of player coming in 7th).


We have a terrible roster. Thing is, it can grow into a pretty good roster. We all just need to have some patience (and maybe another trade or two).

Edit: hah, I totally just summarized your post. What I lack in originality I make up in agreeability

 

[piksi]

didn't watch the game - fortunately

can't do the game thread - unfortunately

 

[gunks]

I don't know if I'd say out of the question. Remember, it took Tyreke a month or so before he hit his stride last season. He didn't start right off averaging 20 points.

I wouldnt be surprised if Cuz picks it up. But its more about Wall and Griffin. Those guys are great, and both already hyped up NBA darlings. And they actually deserve the hype too. Wall is averaging 21pts 9.5 asts and 3stls a game (almost 6TOs per game though!). Griffin is averaging 18.5pts 10 rebs...With his 16/17 game tonight not averaged in yet. Cousins: 13/6. He has some catching up to do.

 

[Lockehead]

After tonights game, I am seriously questioning whether or not Cousins is an NBA ready player. He has the skills, but his conditioning is alot worse than i thought. Tonight, it didnt look like that he could run the court at all, on both ends defense and offense. Keep in mind that the big men run the most during transitions as they go from one front court to the other. It didnt look like Cousins could keep up at all. Alot of times i see him slowly cruising across the court as if his legs were made of lead. When its time get some boards, he stays in the same position in the post, maybe to save energy, instead of getting in position to crash the board.

Of course he is young, so he has a lot of time to get in shape. As of now, i can only see him playing 10-15 minutes of intense high level competition.

edit: O yea, man that Rudy Gay is pretty good. He dropped 30 on us without breaking a sweat.

 

[NewArena]

God are you guys really coming up with all of these conclusions after one or two games? This was our worst game of the season and we were due for one. S*** Happens. Calm down.

 

[Tetsujin]

God are you guys really coming up with all of these conclusions after one or two games? This was our worst game of the season and we were due for one. S*** Happens. Calm down.

NO! I refuse, REFUSE, to be rational!!! This is a message board, not academia!

 

[Casspi]

udrih was a big hole in diffence in the late 4th:
what the team needs :
a good diffending point guard who could play good offense
good Starting PF ( who can defend and rebound and run the floor [someone like bosh or on the other side Evans from toronto ] )
new athletic SF (athletic, with quickness and ball handle [playing like a big SG ] )
new team should look like :


new point guard / Udrih / Jeter / maybe evans for a few minutes ( i would wish for Jason Kidd somehow as our new PG [someone old with a lot of bball IQ and great diffender and good 3 point shooter and passer (duh ) >.> )
Evans / Cisco /head ( head not getting many minutes )
Casspi / new SF ( New SF may be starting instead of casspi . )
New PF / JT /darnell (landry should be traded for a new PG or a new PF )
Dalembert / Cousins (best 2 ) / Hassan for the future


and the other players who can come for a very few minutes
maybe we can trade greene

 

[captain bill]

This.

We have Evans, our only legit allstar caliber guy.

Next tier: Beno, Cisco, Dally, Landry. Decent players who probably wouldnt start on any elite team. Probably wouldnt even start on upper end playoff caliber teams.

Then, youngins: Cuz, Omri, JT, Greene (wherever he is), Whiteside. Tons of potential, but we're a few seasons away for a lot of those guys.

Finally: cheap scrubs...(Not counting Jackson, I like him, but he's a 9th-10th type of player coming in 7th).


We have a terrible roster. Thing is, it can grow into a pretty good roster. We all just need to have some patience (and maybe another trade or two).

Edit: hah, I totally just summarized your post. What I lack in originality I make up in agreeability

Dally could probably start on a championship team. I think if you swap him out for Bynum or Perkins those teams would still be championship squads. He brings the defense and hustle that championship teams need out of their frontcourts.

Everyone else...yeah I agree with you. But you guys should also realize that 'next year' means a lot more now than it did 4-5 years ago when the Maloofs were in perpetual-playoff mode and stockpiling mediocre talent. We just had two top-five picks in a row (one ROY). It's going to take time to develop but if DMC pans out then next year really does mean something.

I was exteremely frustrated with this game, too, but it was DMC's *sixth* game in the NBA. I'm willing to withhold final judgment on his career (and, by extension, the state of the Kings) for a little while longer.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

I was exteremely frustrated with this game, too, but it was DMC's *sixth* game in the NBA. I'm willing to withhold final judgment on his career (and, by extension, the state of the Kings) for a little while longer.

I'm fine with DMC's playing so far. In fact, I'm fine with the whole team. They're playing about as good as can be expected. They just need more proven high caliber players, simple as that. My frustration is with The Maloofs and the fact that despite having over 20 million in cap space they made no serious moves in the biggest free agent class in history. Now, they rank dead last in NBA payrolls at 43 million. Well under the amount where luxury tax would kick in. That tells me that they're not as committed to doing what it takes to build a contending team as they were in the early 2000s. It seems they've adopted a frugal strategy of gambling on draft picks and surrounding them with middle and lower tier NBA talent. That may be a great strategy in you want to be a perennial 30 win team and have a third of your arena empty but it's a pee poor strategy for owners who claim to be trying to rebuild The Kings fanbase. You've got to spend money to get better in this league and that means going over the cap. Just look at this NBA salary list, every team that's a real contender also has a salary well over the cap. http://hoopshype.com/salaries.htm The Bulls and OKC are the only fairly good teams that are under the cap and even they have 10-15 million more on the payroll than The Kings do. Until the Maloofs loosen up with checkbook The Kings are never going to be a top team again.

 

[Asaf]

I'm fine with DMC's playing so far. In fact, I'm fine with the whole team. They're playing about as good as can be expected. They just need more proven high caliber players, simple as that. My frustration is with The Maloofs and the fact that despite having over 20 million in cap space they made no serious moves in the biggest free agent class in history. Now, they rank dead last in NBA payrolls at 43 million. Well under the amount where luxury tax would kick in. That tells me that they're not as committed to doing what it takes to build a contending team as they were in the early 2000s. It seems they've adopted a frugal strategy of gambling on draft picks and surrounding them with middle and lower tier NBA talent. That may be a great strategy in you want to be a perennial 30 win team and have a third of your arena empty but it's a pee poor strategy for owners who claim to be trying to rebuild The Kings fanbase. You've got to spend money to get better in this league and that means going over the cap. Just look at this NBA salary list, every team that's a real contender also has a salary well over the cap. http://hoopshype.com/salaries.htm The Bulls and OKC are the only fairly good teams that are under the cap and even they have 10-15 million more on the payroll than The Kings do. Until the Maloofs loosen up with checkbook The Kings are never going to be a top team again.

You have to consider the following, though. The Kings, being a small market team and one that is not playoff-destined at the moment, was in no position to attract real big name free agents like LeBron or Wade. At most, they would've been able to attract a second-tier free agent, while grossly overpaying him and committing to a long term contract. Now, the other thing you need to consider is that while they do have considerable cap-space right now, there will come a time when they will have to give Tyreke a max contract, as well as DMC, and pay the other young players that they will want to keep and are currently on their rookie contract. All of this will happen about the same time, if all goes as planned, that the Kings are ready to become contenders again. At that point, being stuck with a Joe Johnson type of player with a Joe Johnson type contract, will seem like a really stupid idea.

Also, with the new CBA coming, the fact that the Kings retained their capspace could give them a huge advantage in free agency, especially if the new rules will make it harder on big market teams to go way over the cap and sign all the big free agents. The new CBA might make it much more possible for the Kings to attract big name free agents than the current one.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

You have to consider the following, though. The Kings, being a small market team and one that is not playoff-destined at the moment, was in no position to attract real big name free agents like LeBron or Wade. At most, they would've been able to attract a second-tier free agent, while grossly overpaying him and committing to a long term contract. Now, the other thing you need to consider is that while they do have considerable cap-space right now, there will come a time when they will have to give Tyreke a max contract, as well as DMC, and pay the other young players that they will want to keep and are currently on their rookie contract. All of this will happen about the same time, if all goes as planned, that the Kings are ready to become contenders again. At that point, being stuck with a Joe Johnson type of player with a Joe Johnson type contract, will seem like a really stupid idea.

Also, with the new CBA coming, the fact that the Kings retained their capspace could give them a huge advantage in free agency, especially if the new rules will make it harder on big market teams to go way over the cap and sign all the big free agents. The new CBA might make it much more possible for the Kings to attract big name free agents than the current one.

Clearly they weren't getting LeBron or Wade but who knows, they could possibly have gotten Amar'e Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Rudy Gay, or even a Raymond Felton, J.J. Redick caliber player. It's not really that they didn't get any of them that bothers me it's that it doesn't seem like they even tried to get any of them. I'm aware of the CBA concerns, I'd just point out that those are concerns that every team had but it didn't stop teams like The Knicks and Bull from taking advantage. It's also a valid point that they need to keep money available for future resigning of key players. But the thing is, with Dalembert and Landry coming off the books next year, freeing up another 15 million, they've got plenty to add a high quality piece and still retain important young players in the future.

Right now The Kings are too dependent on hoping that young players like Casspi, Thompson, Greene, DMC, and Whiteside develop and meet their potential. That could take a few seasons though, if it does indeed happen. They need a proven high caliber player in the meantime to make them better immediately.

 

[Bricklayer]

Clearly they weren't getting LeBron or Wade but who knows, they could possibly have gotten Amar'e Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Rudy Gay, or even a Raymond Felton, J.J. Redick caliber player. It's not really that they didn't get any of them that bothers me it's that it doesn't seem like they even tried to get any of them. I'm aware of the CBA concerns, I'd just point out that those are concerns that every team had but it didn't stop teams like The Knicks and Bull from taking advantage. It's also a valid point that they need to keep money available for future resigning of key players. But the thing is, with Dalembert and Landry coming off the books next year, freeing up another 15 million, they've got plenty to add a high quality piece and still retain important young players in the future.

Right now The Kings are too dependent on hoping that young players like Casspi, Thompson, Greene, DMC, and Whiteside develop and meet their potential. That could take a few seasons though, if it does indeed happen. They need a proven high caliber player in the meantime to make them better immediately.

The past two offseasons, for the first time in 5 years the Maloofs actually played it exactly RIGHT. This is a stage that all rebuilding teams, and all future champions (with the possible exceptions of the Lakers who live by their own rules) go through. You dive, shed vet contracts, collect top flight young talent, let it start to develop, and then and only then do you add in big disruptive vet pieces. We are perfectly set up for the next two offseasons, and by the end of this one we'll have a good idea what we have amongst our young talent, and what we need to add. It will be a young team with its own identity and roles and the peices we add won't be random.

 

[Tetsujin]

The past two offseasons, for the first time in 5 years the Malofos actually played it exactly RIGHT. This is a stage that all rebuilding teams, and all future champions (with the possible exceptions of the Lakers who live by their own rules) go through. You dive, collect top flight young talent, let it start to develop, and then and only then do you add in big disruptive vet pieces. We are perfectly set up for the next two offseasons.

You mean we couldn't trade Antoine Wright, a second round pick, and a bag of chips for Dwight Howard?

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

The past two offseasons, for the first time in 5 years the Malofos actually played it exactly RIGHT. This is a stage that all rebuilding teams, and all future champions (with the possible exceptions of the Lakers who live by their own rules) go through. You dive, collect top flight young talent, let it start to develop, and then and only then do you add in big disruptive vet pieces. We are perfectly set up for the next two offseasons.

So if I understand you right, are you saying that adding a player like Rudy Gay or Amar'e Stoudemire at this point wouldn't improve this team by a lot, but instead, would only hinder its development? As for collecting top tier talent, the only player that can seriously be put in that group at this point is Evans. Everyone else is a question mark.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

It's not really that they didn't get any of them that bothers me it's that it doesn't seem like they even tried to get any of them.

The thing is, every call that Petrie or the Maloofs make to agents regarding potentially coming to Sacramento doesn't necessarily get reported in the newspaper. The Maloofs have said that the did in fact contact LeBron's agent - it's not terribly unlikely that they didn't try to get some of the other big name free agents as well. We just don't know. Given where we were last year, it wouldn't be terribly surprising that we contacted 8 big name free agents, offered max or near-max contracts, and got denied all the way around.

In the end, this last offseason comes down the the following question: Would you rather have cap space for next season, or spend $30M on Channing Frye to make it look like you're trying? Seems like an easy choice to me.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

The thing is, every call that Petrie or the Maloofs make to agents regarding potentially coming to Sacramento doesn't necessarily get reported in the newspaper. The Maloofs have said that the did in fact contact LeBron's agent - it's not terribly unlikely that they didn't try to get some of the other big name free agents as well. We just don't know. Given where we were last year, it wouldn't be terribly surprising that we contacted 8 big name free agents, offered max or near-max contracts, and got denied all the way around.

In the end, this last offseason comes down the the following question: Would you rather have cap space for next season, or spend $30M on Channing Frye to make it look like you're trying? Seems like an easy choice to me.

If that's the case, I just don't know why they'd keep it so low profile. At least let the fans know you're in the free agent hunt. But the message I got was that they were sort of playing it by ear but not making any serious push to land anyone.

 

[Asaf]

Clearly they weren't getting LeBron or Wade but who knows, they could possibly have gotten Amar'e Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Rudy Gay, or even a Raymond Felton, J.J. Redick caliber player. It's not really that they didn't get any of them that bothers me it's that it doesn't seem like they even tried to get any of them. I'm aware of the CBA concerns, I'd just point out that those are concerns that every team had but it didn't stop teams like The Knicks and Bull from taking advantage. It's also a valid point that they need to keep money available for future resigning of key players. But the thing is, with Dalembert and Landry coming off the books next year, freeing up another 15 million, they've got plenty to add a high quality piece and still retain important young players in the future.

Right now The Kings are too dependent on hoping that young players like Casspi, Thompson, Greene, DMC, and Whiteside develop and meet their potential. That could take a few seasons though, if it does indeed happen. They need a proven high caliber player in the meantime to make them better immediately.

Clearly we weren't getting Amar'e or Boozer either, as big-market and much more free-agancy-attractive teams snatched them pretty quickly. As for the others you mentioned, they are simply not worth close to what we would've had to pay them. There was no point in trying to sign these guys. Face it, there were no significant free agents that were realistic and worth it for the Kings. You also don't know what they tried or didn't try to do, because GP always keeps the cards close to his chest. You never hear about his moves until they actually happen, and since nothing happened, none of us know what went on behind the scenes.

Regardless, teams like the Knicks and the Bulls are trying to become contenders using the Miami strategy, meaning clearing up capspace and signing big name free agents. There is a chance that will succeed, but there are also risks to that strategy. With Miami having won the free agency battle, both the Knicks and the Bulls, even with the moves they made to acquire Amar'e and Boozer, are almost destined to fall behind the Heat in the next 6 years, unless one of them can pull off the CP3/Carmelo thing and assemble an alternative superstar trio. That's the only way it can work for them. For the Kings, attracting 3 superstars in free agency can happen perhaps in a parallel universe in which Sacramento is the NYC of the world, but not in the one we are living in. The only way a team like the Kings or OKC can become a legitimate contender is to build through the draft, hope to draft the next Duncan, Manu, and Parker, and possibly make a move for a big name through free agency or a trade just before they are ready to contend. That's the only realistic way that I can see them reach that goal. That's why OKC didn't make a significant free agency move either. The good news is, of the small-market teams that are building through the draft, we probably have the second-best chances, behind OKC, to actually become contenders in a few years.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

Clearly we weren't getting Amar'e or Boozer either, as big-market and much more free-agancy-attractive teams snatched them pretty quickly. As for the others you mentioned, they are simply not worth close to what we would've had to pay them. There was no point in trying to sign these guys. Face it, there were no significant free agents that were realistic and worth it for the Kings. You also don't know what they tried or didn't try to do, because GP always keeps the cards close to his chest. You never hear about his moves until they actually happen, and since nothing happened, none of us know what went on behind the scenes.

Regardless, teams like the Knicks and the Bulls are trying to become contenders using the Miami strategy, meaning clearing up capspace and signing big name free agents. There is a chance that will succeed, but there are also risks to that strategy. With Miami having won the free agency battle, both the Knicks and the Bulls, even with the moves they made to acquire Amar'e and Boozer, are almost destined to fall behind the Heat in the next 6 years, unless one of them can pull off the CP3/Carmelo thing and assemble an alternative superstar trio. That's the only way it can work for them. For the Kings, attracting 3 superstars in free agency can happen perhaps in a parallel universe in which Sacramento is the NYC of the world, but not in the one we are living in. The only way a team like the Kings or OKC can become a legitimate contender is to build through the draft, hope to draft the next Duncan, Manu, and Parker, and possibly make a move for a big name through free agency or a trade just before they are ready to contend. That's the only realistic way that I can see them reach that goal. That's why OKC didn't make a significant free agency move either. The good news is, of the small-market teams that are building through the draft, we probably have the second-best chances, behind OKC, to actually become contenders in a few years.

The way I see it, The Kings have enough salary available that they can build around their draft picks and add a nice free agent or two. Just look back to the early 2000s, that's pretty much how they did it then. They drafted Peja, Hedo, and Jason Williams, traded for Webber, signed Divac, Christy, and Jackson, etc. They built a contender out of combining young draft picks with proven veterans. That's generally how it works. The draft only gets you so far, unless you happen to draft a Jordan, Duncan, Bird, LeBron caliber player.

 

[rainmaker]

So if I understand you right, are you saying that adding a player like Rudy Gay or Amar'e Stoudemire at this point wouldn't improve this team by a lot, but instead, would only hinder its development? As for collecting top tier talent, the only player that can seriously be put in that group at this point is Evans. Everyone else is a question mark.

And how exactly do you suggest paying for all this??? 100M for Amare(who wouldn't come here), or 80M+ for Gay. Plus, future max contracts for Tyreke, and possible Cousins. Then we cross the road of extending sub-max guys like JT, Omri, Donte, and Whiteside down the road. And by the way, this is with the current CBA expiring, and the rules of the future CBA up in the air, but rumors of a possible HARD CAP.

So please, enlighten all of us with your plan on how to pay for all of it. Right now, it appears that you think money grows on trees, and CBA isn't expiring, and we're a desirable destination for FA's.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

And how exactly do you suggest paying for all this??? 100M for Amare(who wouldn't come here), or 80M+ for Gay. Plus, future max contracts for Tyreke, and possible Cousins. Then we cross the road of extending sub-max guys like JT, Omri, Donte, and Whiteside down the road. And by the way, this is with the current CBA expiring, and the rules of the future CBA up in the air, but rumors of a possible HARD CAP.

So please, enlighten all of us with your plan on how to pay for all of it. Right now, it appears that you think money grows on trees, and CBA isn't expiring, and we're a desirable destination for FA's.

Very simple. By spending like The Lakers, Magic, Celtics, Mavericks, Jazz, etc. do. It isn't rocket science. I don't see money not growing on trees, the CBA, and in the case of Orlando and Utah, not being big markets stopping them. They're willing to spend 20 or 30 million over the cap, The Kings no longer are willing to do that. That's why The Kings are mediocre city and those other teams are perennial playoff teams.

 

[Bricklayer]

Very simple. By spending like The Lakers, Magic, Celtics, Mavericks, Jazz, etc. do. It isn't rocket science. I don't see money not growing on trees, the CBA, and in the case of Orlando and Utah, not being big markets stopping them. They're willing to spend 20 or 30 million over the cap, The Kings no longer are willing to do that. That's why The Kings are mediocre city and those other teams are perennial playoff teams.

I don't think you undrstand how the league works. You have juts listed about 6 of the top 10 oldest/most veteran teams in the NBA. Of COURSE the old vets are getting paid more. They are also a bunch of old contending vets who have been achored with their teams with a decade in some cases. You don't just go out and buy a team overnight and have it contend by spending far above the cap. In fact by the very rules of the CBA you CAN'T. You only get far over the cap by resigning your own presumably star level players to big extensions after they've proven for years that they are top level pieces. None of that remotely applies to the Kings. And here is something else I will assure you. In 5 years, or 10, or whatever, every single one of those teams will have a year or two where they look a lot like we do right now. Its the cyclical nature of the league. The Magic looked like us when they drafted Dwight Howard, the Jazz looked like us when they drafted Deron, the Celtics looked like us when they put together their big three, the Mavs looked like us when they drafted Dirk. Rebuilds all. Young guys all over the court, contracts being shed. Its how its done. Its how they did it. And now 5 years later or whatever they are at the top. So will we be, but it just takes time. You a) get the talent. That's what we've been doing. b) water it and help it grow; and c) THEN you win. THEN you spend money. You can't force it to happen. you can't spend your way out of the cycle, or else you end up like the Knicks. We'll have the big salary and the big wins soon enough, but you have to go through the rebuilding cycle.

This should be a good year, a fun year. We're on the right side of the bounce now, we should be winning more now than last year, we should start to see the true potential of some of our young guys and be able to anticipate the future. And then we'll go into the offseason, and lockout allowing, try to get the right pieces aroudn the kids who have proven themselves.

 

[rainmaker]

Very simple. By spending like The Lakers, Magic, Celtics, Mavericks, Jazz, etc. do. It isn't rocket science. I don't see money not growing on trees, the CBA, and in the case of Orlando and Utah, not being big markets stopping them. They're willing to spend 20 or 30 million over the cap, The Kings no longer are willing to do that. That's why The Kings are mediocre city and those other teams are perennial playoff teams.

Those are all veteran stacked, more talented team, who have a shot at winning it all, or going very deep in the playoffs. We have nothing in common with those teams. The Maloofs understandably, don't have the ability to spend 20-30 mil over the cap. That makes no sense for us right now. Those teams all know exactly what they have on their rosters, how it all fits, and what they need to improve. We are light years from where those teams are. Your mistake is comparing us to contenders. There is absolutely no reason to spend that kind of money right now while we're developing our talent.

You might not like the fact we're rebuilding, or might not accept it, but it's not something you can simply buy your way out of with total disregard for the CBA and salary cap. And I hope you understand spending 20-30M over the cap is extremely careless at best with the possibility of there being a hard cap this time next year.

 

[Section 101]

Very simple. By spending like The Lakers, Magic, Celtics, Mavericks, Jazz, etc. do. It isn't rocket science. I don't see money not growing on trees, the CBA, and in the case of Orlando and Utah, not being big markets stopping them. They're willing to spend 20 or 30 million over the cap, The Kings no longer are willing to do that. That's why The Kings are mediocre city and those other teams are perennial playoff teams.

And your missing the boat by a mile. Last year was not the time to spend money. With the unknown CBA the Kings maybe one of the few teams who have a chance to be a long term contender. Why pay someone 15 mil a year when next year you may get that same level player for half? Lots of talk about a hard cap which means those teams you mentioned will be in cap hell trying to dump players.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

You only get far over the cap by resigning your own presumably star level players to big extensions after they've proven for years that they are top level pieces.

Precisely. Which is why this year was the perfect time to bring a high caliber FA. Then, you'd have the FA locked up for 6 or 7 years, and in two or three years when it comes time to resign Evans, Casspi, DMC, etc. they'd be able to go over the cap to do it.